Table of Contents
Welcome to Alpaca Herder, the farm management app designed specifically for alpaca farmers. This guide will help you navigate through all the features and make the most of the app.
Table of Contents
- Getting Started
- Creating Your Account
- Farm Management
- Team Collaboration
- Animal Management
- Offline Functionality
- Profile Management
- Troubleshooting
Getting Started
When you first open Alpaca Herder, you'll see a welcome screen with information about the app's features. Tap "Get started" to begin setting up your account.
Key Features
- Multi-farm support: Manage multiple farms from one account
- Team collaboration: Invite team members and manage permissions
- Animal registry: Track all your alpacas with detailed information
- Offline capable: View data even without internet connection
Creating Your Account
The app supports two sign-in methods:
- Sign in with Google: Available on all devices
- Sign in with Apple: Available on all devices (not iOS-only)
After signing in, you'll need to either create a new farm or join an existing one.
Farm Management
Creating a Farm
- Tap "Create new farm" on the farm selection screen
- Enter your farm name (required)
- Optionally add location and description
- Tap "Create Farm"
Note: Creating a farm requires an internet connection.
Joining a Farm
- Tap "Join existing farm"
- Enter the 8-character invitation code
- The app will validate the code and show farm details
- Submit your join request
- Wait for a farm admin to approve your request
Note: Joining a farm requires an internet connection.
Switching Between Farms
If you're a member of multiple farms:- Tap the farm name in the app bar
- Select a different farm from the list
- Or create/join another farm
Team Collaboration
Viewing Team Members
- Tap the people icon in the app bar
- The Members tab shows all current team members
- Each member displays their role (Admin/Coworker/Guest)
Inviting New Members
Admins only (requires internet):- Tap the floating "Invite new coworker" button
- Select the default role for the invitation
- Generate an 8-character invitation code
- Copy the code using the copy button
- Share the code with your team member
- Note: The code expires after 7 days
Managing Join Requests
Admins only (requires internet):- Check the Requests tab for pending requests
- Orange badge on Teams icon indicates new requests
- Review each request showing:
- Tap "Approve" to select their role and confirm
- Or tap "Reject" to decline the request
Managing Team Roles
Admins only:- In the Members tab, tap the menu (three dots) next to a member
- Select "Change role" to modify their permissions
- Or select "Remove member" to remove them from the farm
Features:
- Orange badge on Teams icon shows pending requests
- Member count displayed (e.g., "3 coworkers")
- Members sorted by role, then alphabetically
- Your name appears in bold
- Pull to refresh for latest updates
- Last admin protection prevents farm abandonment
Animal Management
Animal List Screen
- Tap the "Animals" card on the home screen (shows animal count)
- View your animals organized by status:
- Each animal card displays:
Searching and Filtering
- Real-time search: Type to find animals by name, tags, or microchips
- Filter buttons: Owned, Male, Female, Sold, Deceased, All
- Pull to refresh: Swipe down to update the list
Animal Overview Screen
- Tap any animal in the list to view overview
- See key information in the header:
- Tap "Details" to see comprehensive information
- Future: Activity logs will appear here
Animal Details Screen
- From the overview, tap "Details" for full information
- View organized sections:
- Admin/Coworker: Tap the edit icon to modify
Adding Animals
Admin/Coworker only:- Tap the + button on the animal list screen
- Fill in the form:
- Tap "Save Animal" (shows loading spinner)
Editing Animals
Admin/Coworker only:- From animal details, tap the edit icon
- Modify any information
- Add/remove identifiers using + buttons
- Update lineage and breeder information
- Delete animal (with confirmation) if needed
- Tap "Save Animal" to confirm changes
Offline Functionality
The app works offline for many features:
What Works Offline
- Viewing farm and team information
- Browsing animal lists
- Searching and filtering animals
- Viewing animal details
What Requires Internet
- Creating or joining farms
- Inviting team members
- Approving join requests
- Changing member roles
- Updating profile photos
- Initial sign-in
When offline, online-only features will show an orange message with a cloud icon.
Profile Management
Viewing Your Profile
- Tap your avatar in the top-right corner
- View your display name and email
Editing Your Profile
Requires internet connection:- Tap the edit icon in your profile
- Change your display name
- Tap "Save" to confirm
Updating Your Photo
Requires internet connection:- Tap the camera icon on your profile photo
- Choose "Take photo" or "Choose from gallery"
- Select or capture your new photo
Signing Out
- Scroll to the bottom of your profile
- Tap "Logout"
- Confirm your choice
Troubleshooting
Can't Create/Join Farm
- Check your internet connection
- Ensure you're signed in
- For joining: verify the invitation code is correct and not expired
Team Features Not Working
- Ensure you have an admin role for team management
- Check your internet connection for admin actions
- Pull down to refresh if member counts seem wrong
Animals Not Showing
- Check your active filter (tap "All" to see everything)
- Try searching with different terms
- Pull down to refresh the list
Offline Issues
- Orange cloud icon means you're offline
- Some features require internet and will show warnings
- Cached data remains viewable when offline
Profile Updates Failing
- Ensure you have an internet connection
- Display name cannot be empty
- Photo updates require active connection
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Version: 0.1.10